Month: March 2018

Getting your cat (or a stray, especially!) to visit the veterinary is no easy task, and more often than not, the process of getting the feline into a cage ends with a significant amount of scratches and bite wounds. However, since the veterinary visit is not something that you can ignore, it is important to somehow get the cat into the trap or the cage. Below are some useful pointers to help you with this task:

Find a good trap and recovery cage – this point is often less relevant to the tamer domestic counterparts, as they are generally more obedient. If you are planning to trap a stray cat, it will do you good to find a reliable trap and a recovery cage if the feline in question will be either spayed or neutered. You can find these feline traps and cages in any store where you would shop for snake deterrents and other pest control goods.

Get the feline used to you – once again, this tip applies to feral cats, as they tend to be wary of humans. Proceed to feed them in the same spot, preferably at regular time intervals, for at least three days. It should be worthwhile to stand in the vicinity (perhaps a bit farther away in the start) in order to get the feline used to your presence.

Place the trap on flat ground – if the trap is placed on unstable or uneven ground, there is a good chance that the locking mechanism won’t work – or worse yet, it will spring into action unexpectedly, scaring off the cat.

Disguise the trap – your average cat trap hardly looks like a comfortable home, and it is hard to believe that any cat would willingly walk into a cage of steel bars. As such, camouflaging the trap is an important step that can significantly ease your troubles. Newspapers, towels or other materials that your feline would find easier to step on are good options, as is covering the cage in a way that renders it dark (cats love dark refuges!).

Place food in the trap – and obviously, food bait is essential to lure the cat into the trap! However, do not start by placing the bait too deep in the trap at the start – cats are wary and they can feel discouraged to eat in an unfamiliar place. Instead, start by keeping a treat right in front of the trap at first, and gradually make your way inside the trap. Make sure to let go of the lock only once the cat comfortably enters the trap deep enough for you to close it – or you might end up hurting the animal.